Leaving Legacy: Top Badminton Players Who Retired In 2024

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Badminton Players Who Retired In 2024: The year 2024 produced some phenomenal performances on the badminton court. However, the season also turned out to be emotional for badminton fans, with several legends bidding adieu to the sport.

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Let us have a look at the top badminton players who retired in 2024: 

1. Aya Ohori

One of the biggest retirement announcements of 2024 in badminton is Aya Ohori. The World No. 7  bid adieu to the sport at the age of 28 following the conclusion of the 2024 BWF World Tour finals. Aya Ohori has won eight titles (five Super Series, one International Challnage and two World Tour).

In 2022, Ohori won the Asian Games bronze medal after defeating Tai Tzu Ying and Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals respectively. She also played a key role in the team events at Hangzhou as the second women’s singles players behind Akane Yamaguchi, helping the team win a bronze-medal.

2. Rawinda Prajongjai/Jongkolphan Kititharakul

Thailand duo Rawinda and Jongkolphan are among the top names who retired in 2024. The pair together has clinched four world tour titles and three Grand Prix titles. They were an integral part of the Thailand mixed and women’s teams and helped their nation secure two bronze medals in the Sudirman Cup and one silver & two bronze in the Uber Cup.

The women’s doubles pair won a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Championships and reached as high as World No. 5 in the BWF Rankings.

3. Wakana Nagahara

Former World No. 1 Wakana Nagahara who was in women’s doubles alongside Mayu Matsumoto, also announced her retirement in 2024. The duo were crowned world champions in consecutive editions and also won bronze medals in the following two Championships. In 2018, Nagahara was named the Most Improved Player of the Year award after lifting two titles on the BWF World Tour and reaching five finals.

Nagahara brought the curtains down on her career with a total of eight titles (five world tours, two Grand Prix and one International Series). These included the prestigious All England Open, which she and Matsumoto won in 2021—two years after finished as runners-up.

4. Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi

Liu Yuchen, the Chinese doubles specialist, also retired from badminton along with his partner Ou Xuanyi. Before teaming up with Xuanyi, Liu had featured along with Li Junhui. Together they clinched silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and were also crowned World Champions in 2018. Yuchen/Junhui bagged bronze in the same competition the following year.

Also Read: BWF World Tour Finals: Full List Of Title Winners

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